 "Excavators and drillers at work in an open pit at Tenke Fungurume, a copper and cobalt mine 110 km (68 miles) northwest of Lubumbashi in Congo's copper-producing south. File image/Reuters")
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have released 14 of the 17 Chinese nationals detained last week on suspicion of operating an illegal gold mine, officials said late Tuesday (December 24).
The men, now en route to China, were arrested alongside Congolese and Burundian nationals after failing to produce proper documentation during a crackdown on unlicensed mining in South Kivu province.
South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi Sadiki expressed shock over their release, alleging the miners owed the government $10 million in unpaid taxes and fines.
The raid targeted a site where about 60 Chinese nationals were present, and officials detained 17 believed to be in charge, authorities said.
China remains silent
The Chinese Embassy in Kinshasa has not commented on the release. Burundi’s embassy stated it was still awaiting updates from its representative in Bukavu, South Kivu’s capital.
South Kivu’s acting mines minister, Bernard Muhindo, said the government’s goal is to regulate mining operations.
“The idea is not to go on a manhunt, but rather to clean up the mining sector so that reliable partners can work properly and legally,” Muhindo told reporters.
Congo’s struggle around mining
Congo’s mineral-rich central and eastern regions have long grappled with illegal mining operations and the involvement of armed groups. The country boasts vast reserves of cobalt, copper, and gold but struggles to curb exploitation by unlicensed companies and militias.
The eastern provinces, marked by dense forests and rugged terrain, host numerous industrial and artisanal mines. Many are controlled by militias and worked by enslaved laborers, including children, according to government reports.
Impact Shorts
View AllMore than 250 local and 14 foreign armed groups are active in eastern Congo, often fighting over mining operations and resources, the government’s stabilisation agency said last year. Neighbouring nations, including Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, have also been drawn into the region’s conflicts over the past three decades.
Competition for control of mines and resources has fueled ongoing violence, particularly near the border with Rwanda.
With inputs from agencies